Conclusion
“The King Is a Lion” serves as a political statement that Deziderio uses to position Buganda’s monarchy within Uganda’s contemporary power structure. Unlike traditional royal songs, this composition deliberately addresses the tension between kingship and national governance. Its lyrics describe the king’s sovereignty and efficacy as a leader, reflecting the intimate relationship between him and his court musicians as well as the latter’s impact on the Buganda kingship. Accordingly, Deziderio uses the concept of social accord to describe the arrangement of reciprocity between the king and the musicians. The song’s discussion suggests that the leader is uniquely equipped to manage the challenge of guiding his nation.
Many interpreters of “The King Is a Lion” see the song as a blueprint for how a leader should relate to his people. Per the song’s lyrics, there is a certain degree of intimacy and mutuality between the king and his subjects that is ideal which connects them through friendship, trust, and respect. However, interpreters’ readings of “The King Is a Lion” do not stop at exploring the domains of kingship and royalty. They also engage with broader themes of reverence and love within the larger national polity, highlighting the importance of mutuality and reciprocity, among other topics that permeate most of the lyrical content and analyses of the songs discussed throughout this book. Some commentators use the notion of social accord to articulate the changing circumstances of the current era, contrasting the historical agreements that “The King Is a Lion” references against those of today. Many frame the song through the context of twenty-first-century national politics, especially in relation to the shifting power dynamics that have shocked the kingdom. One interviewee juxtaposes the song’s affirmations of the king against the rule that President Museveni provides, illuminating the new challenges that elected leaders face today and the way they continue to exacerbate such obstacles by refusing to accept the changes that have taken place. Another interpreter describes the song in the context of colonialism and postcolonial governance, articulating how agreements made in this context have transformed the Kingdom of Buganda into an entirely new animal, from a pride of lions serving the collective to a group of stray dogs all fighting for themselves. One interpreter even frames the song as a reflection on the position of the king in twenty-first-century Buganda, using it to explain the leader’s substantial influence and power despite his total lack of political recognition from the national government.